Communication antenna setup and alignment, especially in military tactical situations, desirably is to be effected with a view toward the minimization of consumed time from the point of on-site arrival of equipment to operational status. Typically, the military equipment is inclusive, in present commercially available and approved embodiments, of an hydraulic mast supporting an antenna platform. Mast erection, cable connection and power up customarily consume about an hour. Alignment of two communicating antennas, following initial coarse positional coordinate input, is then effected by trial and error antenna movements and operator voice communication over auxiliary communication lines. Generally, this latter phase extends the total time to some five hours before the communication link is fully operational at desired quality level.
Once set up, the link is susceptible to communication quality diminution, as by wind effects upon the separate participating antennas. This aspect becomes less adverse to performance where extended mechanical design steps are taken to minimize mast wind-induced deflection. Higher equipment costs of course attend such design steps.
Prospective equipment specifications, presently under consideration for military endeavors, look advantageously to lighter-weight and taller masts, the erection of which would significantly lessen manpower requirements and provide overview of tall trees and like interfering obstructions to line-of-sight communication, with attendent lessened equipment manufacturing costs and transportation costs. On the negative side, however, alignment and maintenance of same presently derives in part from enhanced mast immobility, and the prospective equipment is not accommodated by present system and method.
Prior art efforts, as set forth in various U.S. patents to be made of record herein, look toward enhancement of antenna alignment and communication quality through the use of ancillary support and control systems. Such prior art efforts involve the supporting of an antenna for movement independently in azimuth and elevation and the transmission of an energy pattern having transmitted signal characteristics adaptive to reaching an aligned condition as between participating antennas and assistive of maintaining alignment thereof. In one known system, transmitted signal characteristics are of diverse frequency pattern, involving permutations of as many as seven discrete frequencies. Receivers sensitive to each transmitted frequency are employed, presenting a relatively complex system for solution to the alignment problem.
In applicants' view, the above-noted systems presently commercially available, particularly to the military establishment, are unduly consuming both of time and manpower, involve mechanical overdesign, and to not effectively maintain alignment, once achieved. The referenced patented prior art efforts are seen as unduly complex and not sufficient to provide effective antenna alignment and maintenance of same.